Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia surrendered all three points at stake to their Oriental brothers, Heartland Football Club of Owerri, as the Naze Millionaires won the Matchday 25 encounter of the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League 2-0 at the Awka City Stadium, their adopted home ground.
Two first half goals from Onyekachi Okafor and Ikechukwu Mgbemena did the damage on Abia Warriors.
It was a first half performance to forget by the Warriors who conceded two cheap goals from dead balls. One from a throw-in and the other from a corner kick.
Although the visitors came out smoking in the second period, pinning their hosts to their own half, the damage had already been done as they found it difficult to breakdown the home side’s defence marshalled by former Abia Warriors strong men, Ozor Chinedu and Nnaemeka Anyanwu.
With the visitors raising the tempo, the game became more physical and a moment of madness from both sides saw each team reduced to 10 men as Heartland’s former Abia Warriors player, Andrew Abalogu and Warriors’ Antoine Desouza were sent off for unsportsmanly display.
The visitors however, finished the game with nine men as star midfielder, Daniel Ijeh, sustained an injury after
twisting his knee and after the Umuahia visitors had exhausted their substitutions.
Up next for Abia Warriors is a home tie against Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure.
